Foldable visual album



June l2, 1945. F. B. RICHMAN 2,377,968

FOLDABLE VISUAL ALBUM Filed July 28, 1942 FJ'EJE.

INVENTOR. en/V056 5. file/4M4 ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1945 UNITEDSTATES PATENT (OFFICE FOLDABLE VISUAL ALBUM Frances B. Richman, SanFrancisco, Calif. Application July 28, 1942, SerialNo. 452,565

6 Claims.

' a plurality of features which lends theinvention admirably to amultiplicity and widely diversified .number of commercial as well aseducational and entertainment applications. A few of these applicationsof use of the invention will be alluded to hereinbut it is to beunderstood that the scope of the improvement is not to be limited to thespecific uses herein mentioned.

j A primary objectof the present invention is to provide an improvedvisual album which is adapt- =edtbef0lded into a packet and whichaffords the visual dissemination of any desired .informa tion.

iAnother object of myinvention is to provide :andmproved visual album ofthe indicated nature which is additionally characterized by itssimplicity of construction and its inexpensive costof production.

A still further object of the invention is to pro- .vide an album of theaforementioned character which affords the ready insertion therein andre- .di'tional sheets for augmenting the data contained or illustratedtherein at anygiven time.

Another object of my present invention is "to ,provide animprovedfoldable, visualalbum of the indicated nature which affords a:basic :medium for any desired type of informative program whether it beadvertising, educational, historical .or the like. I

. The foregoing and other objects are attained in a preferredembodimentof myinvention which is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing. It'

.is to be understood that I am not to be limited .to the ,preciseembodiment shown, nor to the preoisearrangement of the-several partsthereof, as .myinventiomas defined in the appended claims, can .beembodied in a plurality and variety of ,forms.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective development of a preferred embodiment -of theinvention.

1 Figure 2 i .a .plan view of an embodiment of the present invention, asfolded into a packet.

.Inits preferred form, the foldable visual album of my inventionpreferably comprises aplurality of main body panels, a plurality oftransparent, flexible sheets each of which connects alternate main bodypanels; said. flexible sheets being acmoval therefrom .of an unlimitednumber of adr cordion'pleated andxsaid panels and sheetsbeing adapted tobe folded into a packet, together with means for retaining the packetiin'a closed. position.

-In Figure 1 of .the drawing,.I ihave illustrated a .preferredembodimentof the invention wherein there is provided a series :of main body panelsI I I which are preferably fabricated of 'a suitable cardboard orrelatively stiff paper stock and which are adapted to receivedelineations '2 'of any desired character for purposes of .pictorially,

graphically or otherwise visually depicting or disseminating informationof any desired type. .In this embodiment, the main bodypanelsIII;preferably are connected together .in pairs through the medium of aplurality of separate .fiexible sheets, designated generally by thereference numeral II3, which preferably are fabricated of a transparentmaterial, such as Cellophane although such sheets H3 can be fabricatedof any other suitable foldable materiaLas desired. The sheets H3constitute flexible joints or, in effect, .fold lines between ;adjacentpanels =I II in each pair thereof. .A suitable'ad-hesive applied to thelongitudinal extremities of each of the sheets I I3 may be utilizedforfastening the transparent sheets to adjacent main body panels I I Iand thus joining such main bodypanels together in pairs. The series ofconnected pairs of.main body panels III can be folded upon one anotherthrough the .media of the transparent sheets H3 into a packet II I, asillustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. Preferably a cover is providedfor attachment to one extremity of the connected main body panels III,such cover comprising a flap I I6 and con- ;nected panels III and I I8,as shown at the left v.of Figure 1. stitute the back and front,respectively, of the The panels I I1 and I I 8 may concoverandpreferablyalthough not necessarily are cut somewhat larger than the main bodypanels .III of the album. In one form of construction, the series ofmain body panels III can be fastenedby any suitable means, such as anadhesive and through the medium of an end flap II9, to the back .of theback panel II! of the cover, as indicated in Figure 1. To hold the.packet.to-

Y gether in closedposition, a conventionalsnap fastener I2I can beprovidedto fasten the flap no to the top of the front panel .8 of thefolded album, as indicated in Figure 20f the drawing. If desired, thebackand front cover panels H1 and H8 can be omitted, as well as theflaps H6 and H9, and the opposite ends'of the panels III canconstitutethefront and back ofthejfo'lded album and can be securedtogether by a suitable snap fastener. The transparent sheets I:I3 of thealbum are creased transversely at spaced intervals, or accordionpleated, to provid series 10f =connected transparent ipanels J24:h-aving fold lines II 3' therebetween. Each of the transparent panelsI24 can be utilized to carry any desired indicia which may supplementthe indicia on the main body panels II I or which may be whollyunrelated thereto, as desired. It may be observed also that supplementmedia, in the form of cards, tickets, paper sheets or the like can becarried within the folds of the transparent sheets H3, when foldedtogether, so that such sheets constitute, per se, holders or pockets aswell as indicia-bearing media.

It is to be especially observed that in my improvement hereinillustrated the main body panels are all adapted to receive delineationsof any desired indicia on the obverse as well as the reverse thereof sothat each foldable album provided in accordance with my inventionaffords illustrations, indicia or delineations which are visible fromeach side of the main body panels when extended, as illustrated. Thecomposite construction including the transparent sheet affords a seriesof multiple books which may contain graphic, pictorial or photographicillustrations in part and written or typewritten indicia in part.

With further reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, depicting thepreferred embodiment of my invention in extended as well as in packetform. This embodiment has many commercial applications and can beutilized either a an advertising medium in its entirety, a salespromotional catalogue, an educational or entertainment packet for eitherchildren or adults, or as a training manual or booklet for men in thearmed services of the country, For example, as indicative of its use asan advertising medium, the main body panels Ill of the embodiment ofFigure 1 of thedrawing can be delineated with cuts or graphicillustrations pertaining to the merchandise of a particular concern. Thetransparent sheets H3 of this embodiment can carry messages relating tothe goodsand merchandise depicted on the main body panels III, or suchtransparent sheets can be slitted to receive tickets or premium cards orthe like handed to patrons of the concern in return for purchases or asa premium therefor. The end flap N6 of the cover of the folded album canbe delineated with a facsimile of a negotiable instrument, such as acheck which is designated by the reference numeral I28 in Figure 2 ofthe drawing, or with other goodwill token advising the patron that thecheck or token will be honored by a community restaurant or othermerchant for the value specified therein when the packet or albumcontaining a designated number of premium tickets or cards is presentedto such community concern. Another application of use of the preferredembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing canbe for childrens educational programs; the main body panels I l I beingdelineated with pictures of animals or parts of animals while thetransparent sheets H3 can be delineated with suitable legends relatingto the pictures on the main body panels Ill and supplemental thereto sothat when the folded sheets overlie the main body panels III thechildren can visualize a complete pictorial representation of a givenanimal or group of animals and their habitats. The embodiment of Figure1 can admirably serve as a stamp album wherein the main body panels I lI can serve to hold the stamps and the transparent sheets H3 can be usedfor entering supplemental data relating to the countries identified bythestamps. As an educational medium for adults, or training manual formen in the service, the main body panels H I can be delineated withrepresentations of tanks, aeroplanes, guns, gun carriages and othermilitary equipment, while the transparent sheets H3 can carryinformative data as to the qualities of the craft with detailedspecifications. Or such transparent sheets I I3 can initially beentirely or partially blank to be filled in with data uncovered by thestudents or men under instruction from other sources, thereby affordingthe compilation of a completed work album with partial'illustrativematter and partial written or typewritten information.

I claim:

1. A foldable visual album consisting of a plurality of main body panelseach comprising a sheet .of relatively stiff, inflexible material; allof said main body panels being adapted to receive delineations of anydesired indicia on the obverse as well as reverse face thereof, and aplurality of flexible sheets each of which is connected to alternatemain body panels; each of said flexible sheets being accordion pleated;said main body panels and said flexible sheets being adapted to befoldable together into a packet.

2. A foldable visual album consisting of a plurality of main body panelseach of which comprises a relatively stiff, inflexible sheet; all ofsaid main body panels being adapted to receive delineations of anydesired indicia on the obverse as well as the reverse face thereof, anda plurality of flexible sheets each of which is connected betweenalternate main body panels and which forms an extensible jointtherebetween; said flexible sheets being accordion pleated to formrecesses therein which are adapted to receive cards or the like.

3. A foldable visual album consisting of a plurality of main body paneleach of which comprises a relatively stiff, inflexible sheet; all ofsaid panels being adapted to receive delineations of any desired indiciaon the obverse as well as reverse face thereof, a plurality oftransparent, flexible sheets each of which is connected be tweenalternate main body panels; said transparent flexible sheets beingaccordion pleated and being adapted to be folded independently of saidmain body panels as well as to be foldable upon said main body panels sothat the entire group of panels and flexible sheets can be folded into apacket, and means for retaining the packet in a closed position.

4. A foldable visual album consisting of a. plurality of main bodypanels fabricated of relatively stiff material; each of said panelsbeing adapted to receive delineationsof any desired'indicia on theobverse as well as reverse face thereof, and a plurality of transparent,flexible sheets each of which connects alternate main body panels toform extensible joints between said main body panels; said transparent,flexible sheets being accordion pleated to provide recesses therein forthe reception of cards or other material and also being adapted to befolded upon said main body panels without obscuring any indiciadelineated on said panels. v

5. A foldable visual album'as defined in claim 1 and including means forholding the packet in a closed position.

6. A foldable visual album as defined in claim 4 and includingmeans forretaining said pan'els and sheets in closed packet form.

' FRANCESB. RICHMAN.

